Category Archives: Blog
Hydropower Saves The Fugitive
I had the chance to re-watch an early 1990s blockbuster, The Fugitive (1993), starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. Ford plays a doctor wrongfully accused of murdering his wife. He is unexpectedly freed from the transport bus taking him … Read More
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Tagged Harrison Ford, hydropower, The Fugitive (1993), Tommy Lee Jones, Wild River (1960)
Hoovervilles and Poverty in Seabiscuit
In terms of energy themes, Seabiscuit (2003) focuses on cars displacing horses in the transportation sector. However, poverty and the capability for self-renewal show up as recurring themes, too. One scene, just 15 minutes in, features the archetypal image of … Read More
Stupid Energy Elements in Idiocracy
I’m not sure why it took me so long to finally watch the movie Idiocracy (2006), but I can see now why it was an instant classic. This movie is rich with energy material, so I can’t tackle all of … Read More
Holes Is A Water (and Energy) Movie
I happened to watch Holes (2003) with my family, and I remember how popular the film was when released. Among other notable elements, this movie was the screen debut for Shia LaBeouf. The movie’s entire plot revolves around water. In … Read More
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Tagged air conditioning, O Brother, Shia LaBeouf, Sigourney Weaver, Syriana (2005), Texas oil derricks, Tim Blake Nelson, torches, water, Where Art Thou? (2000), Wind
Goldeneye’s Energy Weapons
Returning to an earlier theme of energy in James Bond movies, I was surprised to see a few elements in Goldeneye (1995). That movie was notable for a few reasons: it was the first Bond film made after the disintegration … Read More
Time Bandits, Evil, and Nuclear Mastery
For some reason sometimes I get into a streak of 1980s movies. I watched Back to the Future (1985) , The Goonies(1985), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1985), and Time Bandits (1981) all in pretty quick succession. Time Bandits is … Read More
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Tagged Back to the Future (1985), Monty Python, nuclear, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Terry Gilliam, The Goonies (1985)
The Formula and Fischer-Tropsch
The mysterious and secret formula under investigation in The Formula (1980) is the not-so-secret Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) formula, which had been known over half a century when the movie was made. The F-T process converts different solid or gaseous feedstocks, such … Read More
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Tagged coal-to-liquids, Fischer-Tropsch, gas-to-liquids, Germany, national security, S. Africa, The Formula
Rocky Meets Patton Meets The Godfather
I have one more comment about The Formula (1980). Its director John Avildsen also directed Rocky and Karate Kid. All three movies center around an underdog upstart who takes on the establishment. In Rocky, Sylvester Stallone’s Italian Stallion takes on … Read More
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Tagged Big Oil, George C. Scott, John Avildsen, Karate Kid, Marlon Brando, oil, Patton, Rocky, Sylvester Stallone, The Formula
Smoke, Mirrors, and Real Lasers, Oh My!
Hollywood has a tendency to turn to smoke and mirrors when creating special effects. Stop-motion, miniatures, and painted plates wowed audiences in fantasy and sci-fi beginning at the turn of the last century. Through the 1950s and 1960s the audience … Read More
Hydropower for Medieval Torture in The Princess Bride
In my opinion, The Princess Bride (1987) is one of the funniest movies of all time. And, it’s an energy movie! In a classic scene, Westley the Farm Boy is tortured in the Pit of Despair, which looks like a … Read More
German Scientist as Villain and Comedic Foil
Around the third minute of The Formula (1980), there is a roundtable introduction of German leaders and scientists during WWII. The scene reminded me of a similar scene in the comedy Naked Gun 2 ½ (1991) introducing the titans of … Read More
Temporal Confusion in the Captain America: The First Avenger
This post takes a different turn from others on this blog. I want to explore something Dr. Webber mentioned during his SXSWedu panel last month. When looking at movies as historical documents, it’s important to keep in mind that their … Read More
A Divergent View of Our Energy Future
I went with my 14-year old daughter to see Divergent (2014). It turns out she wasn’t the only teenage girl there watching the movie, which attracts a similar demographic as Hunger Games (2012), which the blog earlier noted is a … Read More
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Tagged Chicago, coal, Divergent (2014), dystopian, electric vehicles, futuristic, Hunger Games (2012), Shailene Woodley, water, Wind
Llewyn Davis Predicts the Future of Cars
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) is a critically acclaimed movie about the lives of fictional folksingers set in Greenwich Village in the early 1960s. Interestingly enough, there is a fascinating history about how the electrification of guitars changed the global music … Read More
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Tagged Autos, Carey Mulligan, Coen Brothers, future of energy, Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), Justin Timberlake, Oscar Isaac, transportation
Binging on Energy: House of Cards, Season 2
Although this is a movie-oriented blog, I can’t help but feature some online television, since it’s relevant to energy and media today. The highly anticipated second season of House of Cards returned to Netflix on February 14, 2014, with no … Read More
Russell Hustles Energy in American Hustle
I was kicking myself for missing American Hustle (2013) when it was in theatres, so I rushed to buy my own copy the day of its release. I’m still kicking myself but I finally watched it (twice), and through ten … Read More
Hitchcock’s Notorious Take on Atomic Energy
Those who aren’t film students might not know the definition of “MacGuffin”. In the cinematic world, a “MacGuffin” is the particular narrative element that drives a narrative. It is pertains very little to the story, but without it there would … Read More
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Tagged Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, MacGuffin, Notorious (1946), nuclear
Edison, Feynman, and the Mystery of Energy
I’ve already covered some of the notable energy references in the biopic, Edison, The Man (1940) in my previous post linked here. But I couldn’t help looping back to comment on one great line summing up how energy was seen … Read More
The Formula for Making an Energy Movie
The Formula (1980) with George C. Scott and Marlon Brando is one of the first major oil films released after the 1970s oil shocks. Rather than presenting the very positive side of oil the way most pre-1970s films did, this … Read More
A Heroic Portrayal of Thomas Edison
I stumbled across the movie Edison, The Man (1940) with Spencer Tracy and had to watch it. First, Thomas Edison is the quintessential inventor whose innovations—such as the cost-effective, long-lasting electric lightbulb and other electric appliances—changed the global energy landscape … Read More
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Tagged Academy Awards, clark gable, Edison the Man, Electricity, Spencer Tracy, Thomas Edison
Webber Energy Group at the Movies
Today’s release of the first full-length Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) trailer brought great excitement to the Webber Energy Group. A set prop built by group member Charlie Upshaw and Josh Rhodes is featured in the trailer and the film (albeit temporarily … Read More
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The Rig: A Disaster
The Rig (2010) is a cringe-worthy, low-budget thriller about a disaster in the Gulf of Mexico with the IMDB tagline: “In the midst of a tropical storm, the crew of an offshore oil rig must survive the rampage of a … Read More
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Tagged Creature of the Black Lagoon, environment, Gulf of Mexico, offshore oil production, oil, The Rig, Thunder Bay, UT Austin
Dallas Returns and Energy Abounds
SPOILER ALERT: This blog post contains many plot elements from the first episode of the third season and the season finale of the second season of Dallas on TNT. I know this is a blog about “Energy at the Movies,” but I … Read More
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Tagged Big Oil, cartels, Dallas, Fracking, JR, methane, offshore drillin, vertical integration, women in energy
The Goonies has Excellent Shelf Life
I watched The Goonies (1985) with my sons. What’s not to love about a classic kids’ movie from the mid-1980s that was written and directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, and Josh Brolin? Energy shows up … Read More
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Tagged batteries, Corey Feldman, gasoline, Josh Brolin, oil, oil cliches, Sean Astin, Steven Spielberg, The Goonies
Oil Man 3: Using Technology To Solve our Addiction
I watched Iron Man 3 (2013) with my son, and we both enjoyed it. While the original Iron Man (2008) and The Avengers (2012) were nuclear movies (see the earlier post here), Iron Man 3 surprised me by including oil as … Read More
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Tagged geopolitics, Iron Man, Iron Man 3, nuclear, oil, oil addiction, President Bush, technology
Oscars Around the Corner – August: Osage County
I saw the movie August: Osage County (2014), which was nominated for two Academy Awards (Meryl Streep for Best Actress and Julia Roberts for Best Supporting Actress). I wouldn’t be surprised if both actresses win, as I found the performances … Read More
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Tagged Academy Awards, Chris Cooper, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, oil, pumpjack, religion, transmission lines, Wind
Walter Mitty Shows the Secret of Icelandic Energy
I recently watched The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013), which is a fun movie based on the 1939 short story with the same name by James Thurber and a remake of a 1947 movie starring Danny Kaye. While traipsing … Read More
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Tagged Ben Stiller, bicycle, geothermal, Iceland, renewable energy, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, transmission lines
Mary Poppins and Air Pollution
Another thought occurred to me about Saving Mr. Banks (2013), which as noted in my previous blog post is a movie about the creative conflict between Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) and P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) during the production of the … Read More
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Tagged air pollution, coal, Dick Van Dyke, Emma Thompson, environment, horse manure, Mary Poppins, Saving Mr. Banks, Tom Hanks, Walt Disney, wood
Frozen Climate Commentary
Based loosely on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, Disney’s Frozen (2013) joins Mulan (1998), The Princess and the Frog (2009), Tangled (2010), and Brave (2012) in redefining the princess archetype through a twenty-first century feminist lens. Critical theory aside, … Read More
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Tagged Climate Change, Disney, Frozen, Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, UN, UN negotiations, women
Energy and Water Save Mr. Banks
I watched Saving Mr. Banks (2013), the touching movie about the creative conflict between Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) and Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson), with my family over the holidays. A few energy and water references merit sharing. … Read More
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Tagged cars, coal, Disney, Electricity, Emma Thompson, oil, Paul Giamatti, Saving Mr. Banks (2013), solar power, Tom Hanks, train, water
Tribute to Peter O’Toole
Lawrence of Arabia is one of the greatest films of all time. It captured the romance and mystery of Saudi Arabia on screen for a western audience and referenced water tensions, serving as a prelude for later films dealing with … Read More
ARGO brings Hollywood and Coal Together
ARGO (2012) is nominally about geopolitical entanglement in the Middle East, including several references to oil. However, it also makes an insightful observation about coal. In the 36th minute, Lester Siegel (a famous movie director played by Alan Arkin), makes … Read More
ARGO Stands for “Another Really Gripping Oil” Movie
I finally watched ARGO (2012), which is a gripping film about the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis and the 2013 Best Picture Academy Award Winner. The movie—produced by George Clooney and Ben Affleck—addresses US entanglement in Iranian governance through an openly … Read More
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Tagged ARGO, Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Middle East, national security, oil, The Kingdom
Despicable Me 2: Surprising Energy & Climate References
I watched Despicable Me 2 (2013) with my kids recently, counting on a good laugh based on Steve Carell’s and Kristin Wiig’s involvement. However, the movie went beyond that, surprising me with two energy (and climate) references on top of … Read More
Wheelers Dealers: Real World Parallels
Reading Marianne’s June post on The Wheeler Dealers (1963) brought two connections to mind. First, though the movie is a spoof-like comedy, the financial tactics and maneuvers (e.g. going to Wall Street to raise money for risky ventures) seem similar to those … Read More
Man of Steel: A Super Energy Movie
I didn’t expect Man of Steel (2013)–the latest in the decades-long Superman franchise–to be an energy movie. But it had several key energy components throughout the movie. Themes related to “Peak Oil” were mentioned twice. In the opening scene, Clark … Read More
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Tagged Deepwater Horizon, explosions, Man of Steel, nuclear, oil, peak oil, Russell Crowe, superheroes
Monsters University: Prequel to an Energy Movie
I watched Monsters University (2013) with my kids. This movie, which is a prequel to the energy-themed Monsters, Inc. (2001), is an entertaining look at college life. Its story line is presented in the context of two main protagonists (voiced … Read More
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Tagged Billy Crystal, children’s movie, clean energy, education, Inc., John Goodman, Monsters, Monsters University, The University of Texas
Monsters, Inc.: An Animated Movie About the Modern Energy Industry
Inspired by Friday’s opening of Monsters University (2013) (the prequel to Monsters, Inc. (2001)), here are some of the energy elements portrayed in the original movie, released over a decade ago. If you’ve watched the Energy at the Movies pilot … Read More
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Tagged advanced technologies, Billy Crystal, energy shortage, energy storage, fossil fuels, Inc., John Goodman, Monsters, Monsters University, peak oil, renewables
Wheeler Dealers, Wildcatters, and the Texas Oilman Stereotype
I recently watched The Wheeler Dealers (1963 and one of my dad’s favorites), starring James Garner and Lee Remick. The 1963 comedy follows Henry Tyroon (rhymes with “tycoon”), a Texas Wildcatter millionaire, who hits a streak of dry wells and … Read More
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Tagged Boomtown, Chill Wills, Fracturing, Giant, James Garner, Lee Remick, oil, Texas oilman, The Wheeler Dealers, Tulsa, Wild River
Turbo: The Snail Racing Energy Movie
My 7-year old son is thrilled with the trailers of Turbo (2013), set for release in July. It’s a racing movie about an underdog snail, nicknamed Turbo, who has unlikely dreams of being fast. Though the trailers only reveal some … Read More
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Tagged Back to the Future, cars, Incredible Hulk, nuclear, Snoop Dogg, Spider Man 2, Turbo
The Eyes of Texas
In an earlier post about Promised Land (2012), I noted that there was a University of Texas pennant on the wall in a way that is reminiscent of Written on the Wind (1956). Rock Hudson’s character in the latter presumably … Read More
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Tagged ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Promised Land, Rock Hudson, Shell, University of Texas, Written on the Wind
The Texas Oilman, Part 1
One of the recurring stereotypes in energy movies is that of the Texas Oilman. There are far too many Texas Oilman characters in movies and TV to list, but here’s a start: – Clark Gable, Boomtown (1940) – James Dean, … Read More
Gattaca’s Solar Power and Plug-In Electric Vehicles Mark the Future
Gattaca (1997), starring Uma Thurman, Jude Law, and Ethan Hawke, is a futuristic film set in the ‘not so distant future’ where your genetic profile determines the opportunities available to you for the rest of your life. Invalids (pronounced like … Read More
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Tagged electric vehicles, Ethan Hawke, future of energy, Gattaca, Jude Law, solar energy, Uma Thurman
Roger Ebert: A Tribute from Energy at the Movies
We wish to honor Roger Ebert, who died today after a recurrence of cancer, for his important impact on movies for the last 4+ decades. He was a movie fan, an important cultural critic who appreciated the societal value of … Read More
Water and Poverty in the Movies
One more comment on Louisiana Story… as I’ve noted before, images of women either washing clothes by hand without piped water and/or carrying buckets of water appear to be the international symbols for poverty. The movie Louisiana Story (1948), which captures some … Read More
1946 Shallow Water Oil Production in Louisiana
Following up the last post, I think it’s interesting that Louisiana Story (1948) and Thunder Bay (1953) are both about shallow water oil production in 1946 Louisiana. Louisiana Story was made in 1946 but released two years later, whereas Thunder … Read More
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Tagged blowout, Giant, Jimmy Stewart, Louisiana Story, oil, Rock Hudson, Thunder Bay, water, Written on the Wind
Where Oil, Water and Cajuns Mix: Louisiana Story
The Louisiana bayou setting in Beasts of the Southern Wild reminds me of a 1948 film, Louisiana Story. This movie is fascinating for a few reasons. And, despite its quirks, I really like it. The black-and-white movie is almost entirely … Read More
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Tagged Beasts of the Southern Wild, Humble Oil, Louisiana Story, offshore production, oil, Standard Oil, water pollution
Climate Change and Beasts of the Southern Wild
As mentioned in an earlier post, energy and water are connected. Climate change (induced mostly by the energy sector) makes this connection all the more apparent since global warming manifests itself primarily through distortions to the global water cycle, making … Read More
Nuclear Energy and The Hunt For Red October
The James Bond tribute at the Oscars got me thinking again about the different ways energy has appeared in Bond films (see my earlier posts here, here, and here), and subsequently, the archetypal Bond Sean Connery. One non-Bond Sean Connery … Read More
The Avengers and Nuclear Power
Sticking to a theme of Oscar movies that have energy in them, I thought I would quickly mention a few things from the Avengers (2012). The most prominent energy angle is the recurring appearance of nuclearesque energy throughout the movie. … Read More
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Tagged Back to the Future, China Syndrome, Iron Man, nuclear, Silkwood, super heroes, The Avengers
Hunger Games is a Hydroelectric Movie, Too
Following on our Jennifer Lawrence Oscar nominee theme, here’s a follow up to my earlier post regarding The Hunger Games. While The Hunger Games (2012) is primarily a coal movie because of the imagery from district 12 (a coal mining … Read More
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Tagged coal, hydroelectric, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscars, poverty, The Hunger Games, water, wealth
Hunger Games is a Coal Movie
With Jennifer Lawrence’s Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Silver Linings Playbook, it seems like an appropriate time to highlight the energy content of her other big 2012 hit The Hunger Games. It’s a coal movie. … Read More
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Tagged coal, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscars, poverty, The Hunger Games, water, wealth, women
Water Bottles and Guilt Trips
This comedy about a mother-son road trip starring Barbra Streisand (Joyce) and Seth Rogen (Andy) doesn’t feature energy, unless you count a discussion about rental car options and the gas expense for SUVs. However, there is a funny exchange regarding … Read More
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Tagged Barbra Streisand, Bottled Water, Energy-Water Nexus, Seth Rogen, The Guilt Trip
Skyfall IS an Energy Movie
Looks like we’re going to need a DeLorean and 1.21 gigawatts of power for this post to correct the mistake written earlier by Michael! As it turns out, Skyfall IS an energy movie — sort of. (link to Michael’s original Skyfall blog post here) … Read More
Quantum of Solace: An Energy and Water Film
Quantum of Solace (2008) is both an energy film and a water film. Oil makes an appearance when the CIA makes a deal with the bad guys to keep Bolivian oil flowing to the USA. Keep in mind that in … Read More
James Bond Saves the World from an Oil Crisis
In Never Say Never Again (1983) Sean Connery makes his triumphant return to the role he made famous (or was it the role that made him famous?) in a self-parody about coming out of retirement to save the day. What … Read More
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Tagged James Bond, national security, Never Say Never Again, nuclear, oil, Sean Connery, Terrorists
Skyfall: NOT an energy movie
While Skyfall (2012) is many things—a fun movie, a Bond thriller, and a blockbuster—it is not an energy movie. But, for me, it does raise the question of which Bond movies have energy or resource themes. And, in spirit of … Read More
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Tagged Daniel Craig, George Lazenby, James Bond, Never Say Never Again, oil, Oscars, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore, Sean Connery, Skyfall, Tim Dalton, water
Elf – Santa’s magic sleigh runs on 1930s technology?
I watched Elf over the holidays and realized it features energy, too. As you may recall, “the best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” But, what does Santa fall back on when the Christmas Cheer is … Read More
Promised Land and Made in America
One of the recurring elements of the movie Promised Land (2012) is the idea of “Made in America.” The main character (played by Matt Damon) is mocked by his business partner at one point for wearing his old beat-up boots … Read More
Indie Game: The Game Controller and the Power Line
My husband and I watched Indie Game a while back. As my gaming days ended with Zelda, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this unexpectedly touching film. I recommend it whether you are into gaming or not. One of the … Read More
The Promised Land: Texas Written On The Wall
One more interesting tidbit I noticed in The Promised Land (2012) (Matt Damon’s movie about fracking) was the touching scene where Frances McDormand’s character (a landman* securing lease rights for drilling) communicates with her teenage son in Houston via Skype. … Read More
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Tagged Fracking, Frances McDormand, landman, Matt Damon, oil, Promised Land, Rock Hudson, University of Texas, Written on the Wind
The Promised Land: Frac Fluids on Fire
One of the more visually entertaining scenes in Promised Land (2012) was when the environmental activist Dustin Noble (played by John Krasinski) visited a local school to discuss the risks that fracking poses to farms. Firstly, selecting the name of … Read More
An Energy Expert’s Review of “Promised Land”
I went to watch Promised Land (2013) last night. The movie is rich with energy content, and so I will be blogging about it over multiple entries in the coming days/weeks. But, I wanted to get a brief review and … Read More
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Tagged corruption, environment, Fracking, George Clooney, landman, Matt Damon, national security, Natural Gas, oil, Promised Land, Syriana, transportation, women and energy
Promised Land Opens Friday
Promised Land is coming out this Friday January 4th. I’m looking forward to seeing it and am curious to see how accurate it is.
Posted in Blog
Tagged Energy, Fracking, John Krasinski, Matt Damon, Natural Gas, Opening, Promised Land
Hydropower Saves The Fugitive
